This new recipe has all my friends and family wondering how on earth I’ve managed to cut the fat. It’s a creamy, delectable little dish that does not taste like it would be good for you. But let me tell you, I have cut the fat like crazy from this classic dish without sacrificing a lick of flavor. Have y’all noticed there is not even one tablespoon of butter in this recipe? I rest my case.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain well and return the pasta to the pot. Add the cream cheese and Cheddar while the pasta is still warm. Stir until the cheeses have melted and the pasta is well coated.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and cayenne (if using) and stir through the pasta mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, top with extra Cheddar, if you like, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to turn golden brown at the corners of the pan.

Serves 6 to 8

More about Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, 250 Recipes All Lightened Up

Paula Deen has lost over 40 pounds and has maintained her weight loss for over two years by swapping out ingredients to reduce fat and calories. Paula’s key to weight loss is moderation and accountability, and one day a week she still enjoys good old southern cooking with biscuits and all. One does not have to give up taste when reducing calories, and these recipes are a testament to that. Paula shares 250 of her favorite recipes lightened up. This brand-new, New York Times best selling cookbook presents lightened up versions of fifty of her classic southern recipes and presents new recipes that cut the calories but not the delicious taste.

The New-York Times Best-Selling cookbook, Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, 250 Favorite Recipes All Lightened Up, is now available now at Amazon, Costco, Barnes & Noble, Target, and your local bookstores!

Paula Deen
- As a young girl growing up in Albany, Georgia, Paula Deen never dreamed she would become an American icon. As a young mother, Paula was living the American dream — married to her high school sweetheart and raising two adorable boys — when tragedy struck. Her parents died, her marriage failed and she began a prolonged battle with agoraphobia. With her boys in their teens and her family near homelessness, Paula took her last $200, reached deep inside her soul and started The Bag Lady, a home-based catering company that marked the start of Deen's professional cooking career. With sons Jamie and Bobby delivering lunch-and-love-in-a-bag, beginning in June 1989, Paula turned her life around by sharing what she knew best, traditional Southern cooking.